As much as I love Cozies set in modern settings, to me, there’s always something special about those set in a slightly more distant past. This might be because I have read so many of the “classic” era of Cozies – authors like Agatha Christie, who wrote about what was for her modern times, but is now most of a century past. So “historical” Cozies, those written more recently, still manage to bring a sense of familiar nostalgia to me regardless of when they were written.

Such is certainly the case with this week’s topic for my long running series of posts on the most popular and recommended Cozy series, as this week I will be discussing the first entry in Victoria Thompson‘s Gaslight Mystery Series, Murder on Astor Place. Set in New York City at the end of the 19th century, Murder on Astor Place has two sleuth protagonists – midwife Sarah Brandt and detective Sergeant Frank Malloy. When a young woman is found killed at a house where Sarah recently delivered a baby, Frank asks Sarah to look over the corpse on impulse. When Sarah realizes that the victim was related to an old acquaintance, she is drawn more fully into the case.

One particularly interesting note about this book is that it doesn’t go to the same lengths to whitewash the period that it deals with as much as other historical Cozies indulge in. Though the protagonists are both generally “good” people, they’re also both people of their setting, who are capable of working within a system that we would consider both corrupt and unethical. Frank is clearly competent at his job, but he’s also working toward becoming police captain in the same way as his predecessors have – by preparing a suitable bribe to ensure he gets the post – because that is the system as it was at the time. Also, as much as I love a modern Cozy, it can be nice to get away from the frequently “zany” occupants of a modern small-town setting for an admittedly grimmer set of city-dwellers. Likewise, the often-brutal methods of the police at the time are often mentioned or alluded to.

Another aspect I particularly appreciate is that despite the attention paid toward establishing the setting and characters, the novel gets to the actual murder very quickly. Many Cozies take a very long time to establish the characters and their relationships in the first novel of a series, but this can cause the actual mystery to suffer, making it feel more like an afterthought than the goal of the entire endeavor. Bringing the crime to the opening few chapters, rather than waiting to the midpoint of the novel, makes it feel more like a true mystery novel rather than a book that happens to include a mystery.

Murder on Astor Place provides a lot for a fan of Cozies, especially those who are looking for a change of pace from “modern Cozies” set in the sort of tourist-y settings that are most popular these days. However, it is significantly darker than many Cozies, so those looking for a lighter read might be advised to look elsewhere. That said, it is certainly worth the time of anyone who is looking for a more serious work that really focuses on the mystery. I very much recommend Murder on Astor Place – and the great news for those of you who are looking for a long series to read is that there are 25 books in Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight mystery series!

If you’re interested in seeing more highlights of some of the most recommended or popular Cozy Mystery authors/series, visit the Most Popular & Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.

You know you have just finished a true Cozy when immediately after the last chapter you find supplemental appendices with such subjects as “The Briar Creek Library Guide to Crafternoons,” a reader’s guide for a completely unrelated book (except that the characters in the Cozy read the book as part of their book group), “Lindsey’s Knitting Pattern for a Rolled Hat,” and, not one, but two recipes. After all, where else but at the end of a Cozy Mystery would you not be surprised to find such additions to the book?

All of this, and more, can be found in Jenn McKinlay‘s first book in her Library Lover’s Mystery Series, Books Can Be Deceiving, the next book in my series of posts discussing some of the most popular and recommended Cozy series. Jenn McKinlay is actually on this list twice now. In 2016, I wrote about the first book in her Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series, Sprinkle With Murder. If you’d like to read what I said back then about Sprinkle With Murder, please click here.  

Books Can Be Deceiving begins not long after Lindsey Norris has moved to Briar Creek to be the head of the public library. Briar Creek is a quaint, small town on the shore of Connecticut. Not too surprisingly, Lindsey had recently broken up with her fiance and had lost her job due to budget cuts at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale. She landed on her feet, however, partly due to her best friend Beth’s help. Beth now works for Lindsey as the children’s librarian. Lindsey has a landlord, Mary, who runs a seafood restaurant in downtown Briar Creek (hence the recipe for Chowder in the appendices of the book). And, Lindsey runs a weekly reading group that combines crafting with reading – hence, the “…Guide to Crafternoons.”

Of course, a Cozy being a Cozy, there is soon a murder, and the small-town chief of police (who is something of a dunderhead) jumps to the wrong conclusion and suspects Lindsey’s best friend of being involved. Lindsey (and others) are soon deeply involved in running their own investigation; and, they won’t rest until the real culprit is found and brought to justice.

Reading Books Can Be Deceiving reminded me of just why I was drawn to Cozies so many years ago.  The setting is attractive and charming. I wish I lived there or at least had the chance to visit Briar Creek. The people have taken to Lindsey quickly, even though real small towns are probably much more suspicious of “outsiders.” But, the worlds Cozies are set in sure seem more attractive than the real ones do sometimes.

Lindsey is young and bright and has a lot to offer the town. She makes friends easily, and the possibilities for romance are never far away. And, the mystery is interesting and multifaceted. 

There are good reasons why Jenn McKinlay (who also writes as Josie Belle & Lucy Lawrence) has so many successful series going (six). The Library Lover’s Mystery Series already has twelve entries (and this is not her longest series!) Her writing style is fluid, her settings are charming and her mysteries are interesting. I highly recommend Books Can Be Deceiving.

If you’re interested in seeing more highlights of some of the most recommended or popular Cozy Mystery authors/series, visit the Most Popular & Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.